CLUBNIGHT TECHNICAL FORUM
At
the January Clubnight (1995), our Technical Forum took the form of an open
discussion on various aspects of the Austin Seven. Members were encouraged to
contribute ideas both for questions and answers. Here is a summary of the more
interesting points.
ENGINE
-
Head
nuts torqued to 20 - 25 ft lbs.
-
Seal
stud threads with Red Hematite etc. to prevent leaks
- Need
to lift engine to get access to the pressure relief valve - any thoughts on
making it adjustable?
-
Camshaft
end-float is best adjusted on the bench (if the engine is dismantled)
-
Machining
of later flywheel to take earlier ring gear (the early rare 1 5/16
flywheel can be used if you can find one)
- There
are several sizes of rear oilseal scrolls and cam shaft bearings - make sure you
have the right ones!
TRANSMISSION
- Use of Ruby thrust and levers on 3 speed box
-
Use
of ‘0' rings on Carden pin to space blocks out to reduce side play in Carden
housing Excellent idea.
-
Do
not over fill rear axle – ¼ pint but check oil regularly. Crown wheels and
pinions are very rare
-
Use
of a patent `Speedy sleeve' to eliminate a scored bearing surface for modern
oil seals is being investigated (typical application on wheel hubs and
crankshaft?)
BRAKES
- Always
use footbrake when adjusting (jam with piece of wood against the seat)
- 750MC's
Special Builders Guide advice seems useful - adjust front to come on before
rear and rear offside slightly before the nearside. Try a cable adjuster to
tune the cable (do all this with the car jacked up off the ground)
- Did
you know that slots are cut into the flange of steel brake shoes to reduce
squeal and prevent upset to animals from harmonics beyond the range of human
hearing?
ELECTRIC
- Did
you know that using a late coil (positive earth) in an early car (pre Dec 35) will
result in erosion of the plug earth electrode due to reversed spark. Also the
coil will not be so efficient in this direction. All coils are marked CB and SW
not +ve and -ve as on modern coils. Remedy is to reverse the connections on a
late coil if fitted to an early car. Note that all coils are dated on the base.
Thanks
to all for your contributions, Regards, Phil Whitter